Kids were chasing hoops. Pup tents lined the edge of the field. A stage coach was taking laughing families for rides around the block, and Jeri Hansen was helping kids learn how to make dipped candles.

Camp Floyd hosted a Civil War era re-enactment over Memorial Day weekend, offering people a chance to celebrate the holiday by learning about Utah's history in connection with the Civil War, as well as getting the chance to see what life was like at Camp Floyd.

Hansen, one of the park's employees, said this was a great way to learn history.

"This is Utah's connection to the Civil War," said James Seikel, one of Camp Floyd's full-time employees. He said most people don't know that a third of the United States Army was sent here by President James Buchanan to put down the supposed Mormon Rebellion.

The soldiers weren't allowed to stay in Salt Lake City, so they built Camp Floyd in Cedar Valley, Seikel said. Many of the officers that fought on different sides during the war were friends at Camp Floyd.

The park hosts camps during the summer for kids to learn more about Utah's history and experience what it was like to be in the army at Camp Floyd.

Along with period games and activities, kids also had the chance to shoot 1847 Springfield replica rifles, with the help of Richard Van Haaften. Dressed in a Union Army uniform, Van Haaften helped kids make their own cartridges to shoot, while telling them about Camp Floyd and why it was built.

The Memorial Day weekend event began about five years ago and has been a really popular event, Seikel said, with an average turnout of 500 people.

Two re-enactment groups come for Memorial weekend.

Sitting at the opening of one tent, a group of people in period clothing told participants about the history of Camp Floyd and how it was connected to the Civil War.

"Out here in the territories, they don't believe Utah was involved," Mike Moon said with an Irish accent for his re-enactment character.

Mike and Elaine Moon are part of the Territorial Civilian Commission that does re-enactments from 1850 to the 1870s, to cover times from The Civil War to the golden spike, when the Union-Pacific Railroad was completed.

"The more you know, the more you understand," Moon said. He said the history told is different based on who told it.

"You try and play sleuth, and find the stories," he said. "You learn more about history doing a year of this than you ever would doing a master's degree."

The Moons try to go to as many re-enactments as they can, Elaine Moon said.

"Back East there's something every weekend," she said. "If you run out of Civil War stuff, there are other wars."

The Moons said that they have a lot of fun doing re-enactments and finding the stories for their characters.

"Sometimes it's cold, sometimes it's hot, but the camaraderie and the friendships you make [make it worth it]," Mike Moon said.

Copyright Brigham Young University 27 May 2008